Nebuchadnezzar demands that the wisemen tell him what he saw in his dream. The wisemen tell the king that only gods can accomplish this task. Because of their failure, the king orders that all the wisemen be killed.
The wisemen answered a second time, asking the king to tell them what he saw in his dream so that they could offer an interpretation for him. But the king refused, accusing them of bargaining for time, inasmuch as you have seen that the command from me is firm. Apparently the king reasoned that if these advisors and magicians could not tell him what he saw in his dream then they could not offer him a trustworthy interpretation. It seems that Nebuchadnezzar already had doubts about the honesty of his wisemen, accusing them of planning to speak lying and corrupt words to him. He demanded that they tell him the dream so they could provide the actual interpretation.
His wisemen and magicians told the king that there is not a man on earth who could tell him what he saw in his dream, and that only gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh could do what the king asked.
Nebuchadnezzar was extremely angry with these men and ordered that the wisemen should be slain. Since the command was for all the wisemen in his kingdom to be killed, they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them. This tells us that Daniel and his friends were among the wisemen of Babylon. But because they were not in the king’s presence, that would infer that they were junior members.
Biblical Text
7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” 8 The king replied, “I know for certain that you are bargaining for time, inasmuch as you have seen that the command from me is firm, 9 that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only one decree for you. For you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt words before me until the situation is changed; therefore tell me the dream, that I may know that you can declare to me its interpretation.” 10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter for the king, inasmuch as no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any magician, conjurer or Chaldean. 11 Moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh.” 12 Because of this the king became indignant and very furious and gave orders to destroy all the wisemen of Babylon. 13 So the decree went forth that the wisemen should be slain; and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them.
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